2011, 35 (4): 380388

Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology

doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00380
http://www.plant-ecology.com

*
, , 830011

, ,

,
5((Haloxylon persicum)(Ephedra distachya)(Ceratocarpus arenaarius)
(Malcolmia africana)(Lappula semiglabra)): 1),
, , ; 2)
, ,
; 3), 5N,
N, PK
, MgMnCu

, , , ,

Effects of biological soil crusts on seedling growth and element uptake in five desert plants in
Junggar Basin, western China
ZHANG Yuan-Ming* and NIE Hua-Li
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, rmqi 830011, China

Abstract
Aims Biological soil crusts improve soil formation, increase landscape stability and fertility, prevent soil erosion
by water or wind, and affect surface hydrological and nutrient cycles. Furthermore, biological soil crusts affect the
germination, growth and establishment of vascular plants. The interaction between crusts and vascular plants is
controversial, and the importance of biological crusts has not been well analyzed in the Gurbantunggut Desert of
western China. Our objective was to examine effects of biological crusts on growth and nutrient uptake in vascular plants of the Gurbantunggut Desert.
Methods We conducted manipulation experiments to examine the effects of biological crusts on growth and nutrient uptake in five typical, widely distributed species (Haloxylon persicum, Ephedra distachya, Ceratocarpus
arenaarius, Malcolmia africana and Lappula semiglabra). We used shoot growth rate and above- and belowground biomass accumulation as indicators of seedling growth and the content of ten elements (N, P, K, Na, Mg,
Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Na) as indicators of the influence of biological crusts on element uptake in the plants.
Important findings Biological soil crusts significantly accelerated the growth rate of seedlings in all five species, but increased biomass accumulation only in herbaceous species, not in shrub species. Crusts also promoted
early flowering and fruiting in herbaceous species, which could be beneficial to rapid establishment of herb communities before environmental resources become more available in other seasons. Crusts also influenced nutrient
uptake by plants, especially N; the influence on uptake of other nutrients was species-specific. Therefore, biological soil crusts may be important in maintaining desert plant diversity.
Key words biological soil crusts, biomass accumulation, desert plants, growth rate, element uptake

Received: 2010-12-21 Accepted: 2011-01-20

* E-mail: zhangym@ms.xjb.ac.cn

: 5

381

Belnap

Harper (1995): Festuca octoflorn

NPKFeCaMg

Mentzelia multiflora, ,

(Belnap, 2003)

NFeCaMnMg

, ,

(Belnap & Harper, 1995),

(Belnap et al., 1994),

N70%

pH

CuK

(Friedmann & Galun, 1974; West, 1990)

MgZnP

Fe, CaMnNa

70% (Belnap et al., 1994; Belnap, 2003)

(Harper & Belnap, 2001)

PFe,

(Belnap & Lange, 2003)

DeFalco(2001):

(2005):

, 5

Harper

Pendleton (1993),

(2003),

(Belnap & Gardner, 1993; , 2001;

, 2005),

(Belnap & Gardner, 1993; Wu et al., 2009)

(Marathe & Chandhari, 1975),

(,

(Harper & Belnap, 2001),

2009)

, (1993)

, ,

Li(2005)

: 1)

, ,

, (Bassia

dasyphylla),

; 2)

, N,

, ,

,
doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00380

 Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology 2011, 35 (4): 380388

382

17 cm, 15 cm,

(),

1.1

, 44114620 N,
6

84319000

1.2.2

E, 4.88 10 hm ,

3 0003 500 ,

, (Ceratocarpus

70150 mm, 2 000 mm,

arenaarius)(Malcolmia africana)

(, 2002)

(Lappula semiglabra),

5, (5 )

1.3
1.3.1

()

(, 2002)

(44.17 N, 87.56 E, 475 m)

, ,

1.3.2

(Zhang et al., 2007),

(),

530, 1 cm

, 2002)(Haloxylon persicum)

150 mL,

5,

(Ephedra distachya)

5(5),

(=/(mmd1))

(, 2003)

, ,

1.2
1.2.1

1.3.3

20086
, (PVC),

1.3.3.1

, , 120 30 min,

1 ()
Table 1 Physical and chemical properties of substrate soil (mean SD)
pH

Volumetric
water content (%)

8.36 0.16 7.74 2.18

www.plant-ecology.com

Organic C
(gkg1)

Total N
(gkg1)

Total P
(gkg1)

Total K
(gkg1)

Available N
(mgkg1)

Available P
(mgkg1)

Available K
(mgkg1)

1.69 0.55

0.19 0.09

0.40 0.04

10.94 0.78

36.31 9.44

6.31 1.53

167.75 20.72

: 5

383

70 24 h, ,

1.3.3.2

85 , , ,
105 3 h, , -
(, 1992),
, (VAP45s, C. Gerhardt Laboratory
Instruments Incorporation, Bonn, Germany)N
, (752N, )
(, 1999)P;
K(, 1999),
(Sciex DRC II, Perkin Elmer Incorporation, Manhattan, USA)CaMg
CuFeMnNaZn7
1.3.4

(One-way ANOVA),
5
, LSD (least significant difference)
(p = 0.05)SPSS 11.5
(Chicago, IL, USA), Excel

2.1

,
(1),

,
,

,
,
,
,

2.2

(2)

1 5
()
Fig. 1 Variations of shoot height of five desert plant species
with cultivation time under the effects of biological crusts
(mean SD).
doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00380

384

Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology 2011, 35 (4): 380388

2 5(
)
Fig. 2 Effects of biological soil crusts on total biomass of five
desert plant species (mean SD). *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01.

3 5(
)
Fig. 3 Effects of biological soil crusts on individual biomass
of five desert plant species (mean SD). *, p < 0.05; **, p <
0.01.

(p < 0.05);

(p > 0.05);

2.3

(2)

(3)

2.4

(p < 0.05),

(3),

(p > 0.05),

5N, PK

www.plant-ecology.com

: 5

385

2
Table 2 Effects of biological soil crusts on flowering and fruiting dates of two grass species

Species

Treatment

Ceratocarpus arenaarius

Malcolmia africana

Cultivation days (d)

Flowering date

Cultivation days (d)

Fruiting date

Intact crust

31

618 18, June

36

623 23, June

Without crust

34

621 21, June

40

627 27, June

Intact crust

36

623 23, June

41

628 28, June

Without crust

38

625 25, June

45

72 2, July

3 5
Table 3 Influence of biological soil crusts on elements uptake of five desert plant species

Element

Cu (gg1)

Haloxylon persicum

Intact crust Without

crust
4.085
4.462

Ephedra distachya

Intact crust Without

crust
2.593
2.778

Ceratocarpus arenaarius
Malcolmia africana

Intact crust
Without
Intact crust
Without
crust
crust
9.867
9.831
5.141*
7.624

Lappula semiglabra

Intact crust
Without
crust
9.181
8.471

Mn (gg1)

53.403

50.406

23.295

25.415

109.826

90.854

25.244**

24.950**

Fe (gg )

227.579

209.527

168.656**

199.360

1 089.985**

672.968

465.765**

176.882

1 177.463**

691.103

Zn (gg1)

278.166*

319.261

273.465*

212.250

739.761**

454.361

35.404*

30.715

254.326

292.766

Mg (mgg1)

7.234

7.310

1.341

1.469

2.559

2.359

2.054*

2.985

1.821**

2.015

138.791

142.215

Ca (mgg )

9.300**

7.101

4.160**

4.743

16.368*

11.660

10.343**

21.906

17.338

14.543

Na (mgg1)

3.014

3.375

1.406*

1.593

2.756*

2.078

1.566**

1.942

1.698*

1.917

N (mgg1)

29.053**

18.172

20.489*

17.538

23.770*

18.530

31.669**

21.636

26.473*

20.618

P (mgg1)

4.747

4.853

4.058

4.247

4.885

3.991

5.402

5.770

4.198

4.950

K (mgg1)

58.601

52.079

51.019

53.519

72.871

59.231

50.789

51.961

40.528

39.633

*, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01.

, N
PK3
,
,
5FeZnCaNa

3
3.1

, 4

Fe,

Fe;

4(Harper & Pendleton, 1993); ,

Zn,

NaCa

, Ca

(Li et al., 2005)

Na

Rivera-Aguilar(2005)30

, Na

, , (

, 5MgMnCu

),

,
doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00380

386

Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology 2011, 35 (4): 380388

N(Harper & Belnap, 2001), 70%

Cu

KMgZn, PFe,

Kaltenecker(1995)Bromus

CaMnNa

tectorumSitanion hystrix

(Belnap, 2003)

Garllardia pulchellaSphaeralcea mun-

roana, Coleogyne ramosissima

-,

, /

N, PK

, Fe

Festuca octoflora

2(Belnap,

53Fe, MgMn

1995)

Cu

(Verrecchia et al.,

(Gold & Bliss, 1995)

1995),

, 05 cm

, (Belnap & Gardner,

1993), ,

N,

, (

, 2005),

, Mcllvanie (1942)4

, N

45%300%,

5 min,

(Danin, 1978),

, ATPNH

(Rychert & Skuji, 1974)

, P,

, ,

, ,

()2 cm

, ,

(Belnap & Harper, 1995)

3.2

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: 5

387

Fe,

,
,
(Belnap, 2003)
, pH
Fe
,
(Harper & Pandleton,
1993; Harper & Belnap, 2001),
3Fe,
Fe
,
,

NPK(, 2005;
, 2004),

(KZCX2-YW-336)

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